Create-A-Graph

The resource for today is called Create-a-Graph.

What is Create-a-Graph?

Create-a-Graph is an interactive, online tool that helps teach students how to create their own graphs and then interpret the results. Create-a-Graph was created by the National Center for Education Statistics to allow students to create a graph by a few clicks of a button, letting them change the shapes, background, number of grid lines, and so much more. Students are exposed to the following graphs: line, bar, scatter, pie, and area. Further, students can use the "Dare to Compare" feature and test out their skills of graphing in comparison to those around the world. 

Is it free?

Create-a-Graph is free for all users. There is no paid program option, which is great for the classroom!

What will Create-a-Graph bring to your classroom?

This product can prove to be beneficial in all different grades throughout the education system. From using it in the Kindergarten classroom to graph the daily lunch count to using it in 12th grade classrooms to create a pie chart of where people are intending to go after they graduate to a college student identifying the amount of money people make in the community using a plotted graph. This tool brings an easier way to create graphs using technology rather than by paper and pencil.

How do I use Create-a-Graph?

Below, I will show you the steps of using Create-a-Graph.

Step 1: Choose the graph you would like to create.

Step 2: This is where you can change your information for the design. You can alter the direction, shape, and style.

Step 3: Enter your data. This would be your graph title, x-axis label, y-axis label, source (optional), data set, and group name. Then, enter the column titles and the values for each. Make sure to do the min-value and max-value for the graph.

 

Step 4: Enter the labels for your data. You can also change the label and font colors and sizes. 

Step 5: Preview your graph.

Step 6: Click the print / save page. This is where you can print, save, download, or e-mail your graph to someone. Or, you can start over, erase this graph, or copy to a new graph!

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How can I use Create-a-Graph in my classroom?

Below is a list of ways that this tool can be utilized in the classroom:

-Daily lunch count
-Daily question to graph answers
-Turn word problems into graphs
-Bar graph census of your classroom
-Graph the number of M&Ms in a pack

-Measure lima bean plants and graph daily

-Use to display classroom data in any subject
-Pie chart of what students eat for the holidays
-Measure students and add data to create a scatter plot
-Pie chart as a class of how many siblings each student has
-Look at pie graphs to identify the different fractions being represented
-Survey work to create graphs from responses (favorite color, animal, etc.)
-Use for data analysis in math when working on questions involving tables
-Lucky charm graphing (graph the number of marshmallows in a box of lucky charms)
-Graph the amount of people in the community, city, state, nation, world and compare answers

Honestly, the possibilities are ENDLESS.

How would YOU use VoiceThread in your classroom? Answer in the comments on this post!

Scribd

The resource for today is called Scribd.

What is Scribd?

Scribd is an online library of many resources. It's a place to share, publish, and discover entertaining, informative, and originally written content across the Internet and on your own mobile devices. The topics for upload can be anywhere from documents to schoolwork to how-to guides. It can also be books, non-fiction resources, presentations, and spreadsheets. You can allow others to download, print, and embed your work, too, which makes it versatile in many ways.

Is it free?

Scribd is free for all users. The only plan offered is a free subscription. You just need an e-mail address, a username, and a password in order to access all the different features of Scribd. 

What will Scribd bring to your classroom?

This product can prove to be beneficial in all different grades throughout the education system. From using it in the Kindergarten classroom to upload number books to using it in 8th grade classroom to upload a spreadsheet on numerical data to a college student uploading a unit for their student teaching projects. This tool brings an easier way to create "presentations" and visual aids, allowing others to download or print for FREE.

How do I use Scribd?

Below, I will show you the steps of using Scribd.

Step 1: Click the upload button to begin uploading documents.

Step 2: Choose where you want to upload your document from. It can be a file, from GoogleDocs, to sell your documents, text, or desktop uploader. I use the SELECT FILE button most.

Step 3: Upload your document. When the file has finished uploading, enter your information such as the title, categories, tags, and description. 

Step 4: Here's your finalized product! Any other users can now download or print or add to their collection. You, as the owner, can edit, upload revision, delete, or make public & private. You can also see how many people have read, readcasted, or viewed on an embedded product (blog, Wiki, etc.).

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How can I use Scribd in my classroom?

Below is a list of ways that this tool can be utilized in the classroom:

-Load science process projects
-Create how-to guides and upload
-Upload stories created by students
-Have students publish a magazine article
-Use for parent presentations at conferences
-Locate reputable sources for research projects
-Use to share files between classroom teachers
-Create brochures for country visits and upload
-Homework help for students to download at home
-Add all worksheets for the classroom to go paperless
-Create art work and load on to Scribd to show parents
-Upload essays to share with other students for peer editing

-Use for resumes for college students to send links to others
-Make up scripts for a play and upload to download from home for practicing
-Create permission notes for parents & upload instead of sending home a paper copy

Honestly, the possibilities are ENDLESS.

How would YOU use Scribd in your classroom? Answer in the comments on this post!

PodOmatic

The resource for today is called PodOmatic.

What is PodOmatic?

PodOmatic is a podcast creation tool. Users may search, create, and share podcasts and minicasts with other users. For each user, PodOmatic walks you through step-by-step on how to use their podcast creations. 

Is it free?

PodOmatic has two different plans, one that's free and one that's called PRO. The free version allows the users to follow podcasts, create and share podcasts and mini-casts with the publication tools provided, interactions with the community, bookmark your favorites, and share with your friends. But, with the PRO, you receive four times more storage (2 MB) than the free account and 100GB of bandwidth. You also get better design tools, high quality playbacks and downloads, and it removes ads from the pages. This plan costs $9.99 per month. 

What will PodOmatic bring to your classroom?

This product can prove to be beneficial in all different grades throughout the education system. From using it in the Kindergarten classroom to create podcasts to show reading skills to using it in 12th grade classrooms to detail their future plans to a college student working on a project for a course using Web 2.0 Tool descriptions. This tool brings an easier way to create podcasts for free to share with others around the world. 

How do I use PodOmatic?

Below, I will show you the steps of using PodOmatic.

This is your dashboard. This website is very easy to navigate, so it's easy for all students to understand.


PodOmatic walks you through step by step. At the top of your page, it'll show you which step you are on as it is highlighted BLUE.

Step 1: Write a title and description for your podcast.

Step 2: Select an audio or video clip. You may also elect to skip this step.

Step 3: Select a photo. You may also skip this step, too, if you would like.

 Step 4: Tag your podcast. This allows for search processes to be easier. Also, choose the search filtering that you would like on your video. This makes it easier to find, too!

Step 5: Publish your episode. After this step, you can then promote it if you would like BUT this costs a fee to do.

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How can I use PodOmatic in my classroom?

Below is a list of ways that this tool can be utilized in the classroom:

-Use for book talks
-In an art classroom, use for critiques
-Use for "meet the author" productions
-Use for recording information for science logs
-Word of the day or week podcast presentations
-Summarize a story in 30 seconds using the podcasts
-Use for interviewing those in the community projects
-Presentation on oneself to allow others to 'get to know' you
-Create different voiced trailers for books that have been read
-Allow students to show their understanding of a topic in the classroom
-Use for identifying how to find good websites using your students' voices
-Create a voiceover about a science project showcasing the scientific process
-Use for literature circles when discussing books that might be difficult to understand

-Use as a teaser of what the days events will hold - specific subjects you're going to go over
-Vocabulary words - describe the word, definition, how you could use it, part of speech, etc.

Honestly, the possibilities are ENDLESS.

How would YOU use PodOmatic in your classroom? Answer in the comments on this post!

TubeChop

The resource for today is called TubeChop.

What is TubeChop?

TubeChop is a video chopping service. You place the URL of the video you would like to cut up to show in the box, find your place, then share with friends. This service is relatively simple, but absolutely great to know if you find a video that you want to show a single part to your classroom.

Is it free?

TubeChop is free for ANY user. There is no sign up fee or an upgrade to another program type fee. Since all you are doing is chopping a video, it's a free provided service for you.

What will TubeChop bring to your classroom?

This product can prove to be beneficial in all different grades throughout the education system. From using it in the Kindergarten classroom to chop a video to show the first three numbers in a number video to using it in 9th grade classrooms to chop a video about the digestive process to a college student chopping a video on a sign language phrase to focus on one sign. This tool brings an easier way to locate the right part in a video for your educational use.

How do I use TubeChop?

Below are the steps of using TubeChop.

Step 1: Find the video you want to chop.

Step 2: Begin to figure out where you want to chop your video and select it.

Step 3: Share with friends!

THIS IS THE FULL VIDEO.

THIS IS THE VIDEO AFTER I TUBECHOPPED IT!

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How can I use TubeChop in my classroom?

Below is a list of ways that this tool can be utilized in the classroom:

-Provide a good visual aid for parents
-Use on songs to show just the chorus
-Use for presentations in the classroom
-Cut videos up to combine with one another
-Provide clips for other teachers in the school
-Use to split up video segments each day of a lesson
-In using educational videos, chop to show a "teaser"
-Cut to shorter videos you want to show to your students
-Provide a teaser video on an introductory lesson for a unit
-Have students use to find the most important part of a segment
-Create a short clip to advertise a product by only showing a segment
-Use to chop down videos to show single signs in sign language videos
-Allow students to use for their research projects once they have created a video
-Pinpoint the exact locations you want to watch to get rid of the unimportant parts
-When watching a video, cut to the middle to have students use inferencing of what is happening

Honestly, the possibilities are ENDLESS.

How would YOU use TubeChop in your classroom? Answer in the comments on this post!

TeacherTube & SchoolTube

The resources for today are called TeacherTube and SchoolTube.

What are TeacherTube and SchoolTube?

TeacherTube and SchoolTube are programs similar to the popular YouTube. Rather than have to scan out videos that are appropriate for the classroom, these two websites provide videos that are safe for the classroom environment. SchoolTube is also endorsed by the National Education Association, or NEA.

Are they free?

TeacherTube and SchoolTube are both free programs for all users. When signing up, TeacherTube just requires a simple username, password, e-mail address, and your age as well as designation (teacher, student, parent, administrator, etc.). But, when you sign up for SchoolTube, you must input your school, city, state, and country to prevent people that are NOT in the classroom from signing up for an account.

What will TeacherTube and SchoolTube bring to your classroom?

These tools can prove to be beneficial in all different grades throughout the education system. From using them in the Kindergarten classroom to view videos about counting to using them in 10th grade classrooms to create and upload videos portraying famous Americans to a college student viewing videos on anatomy to help review for a class test. This tool brings an easier way to find videos that are educational versus trying to ween out the videos with poor language, disrespectful images, and all the other poor tastes of those videos that can be found on YouTube. 

How do I use TeacherTube and SchoolTube?

Because I am not part of a school, I am just going to show you the details of using TeacherTube. It's relatively simple and related EXACTLY to YouTube, only you can upload specific things such as documents, too.

Step 1: When you first log in, you will head to the top right and click on the drop down menu to upload your own documents. You can upload a video, audio, photos, or documents. This is unique to TeacherTube, as it's to be used in the classroom or for professional development.

Each form has it's own upload rules. The uploading is relatively easy, but I am going to show you the forms. The nice thing about TeacherTube is that they ask when you upload to make sure that what you decide to upload is NOT classified as pornography, copyrighted material, harassment material, or spam. This is especially great because that's the difference between using YouTube and TeacherTube in the classroom - you will NOT have to worry about scanning videos prior to showing them, unless you so choose.

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How can I use TeacherTube and SchoolTube in my classroom?

Below is a list of ways that these tools can be utilized in the classroom:

-Create a step by step video on a recipe
-Show a video on how to use a timeline
-Use to create a video on the phonics dance
-Create a commercial for a book and upload
-Create a video portraying a famous American
-Tell about the rules in a classroom environment
-Use a video to portray students work each month
-Make a rap video about the scientific process and upload
-Record a video of students demonstrating the water cycle
-Work on vocabulary through a presentation uploaded to one website
-Create a video of a book review for other students in the school to view
-Upload videos using American Sign Language to showcase sign language skills
-Make a video of a play to help students identify the emotions of the actors/actresses
-Create videos on math processes and upload to either website for others to learn from
-Use video to create a how-to process for any sort of process you want students to know about

Honestly, the possibilities are ENDLESS.

How would YOU use TeacherTube and SchoolTube in your classroom? Answer in the comments on this post!

SlideShare

The resource for today is called SlideShare.

What is SlideShare?

SlideShare is a large virtual community for sharing presentations (especially PowerPoint presentations). SlideShare also supports PDF documents, Word documents, videos, and webinars (by syncing mp3 audio to make it like a podcast). Individuals can also comment, favorite, and download presentations from the website. Organizations also upload documents to share ideas, connect with one another, conduct research, and generate leads for business purposes. The fun thing about SlideShare is that you can download each presentation and either reuse or remix the presentation, allowing you to use a bit of the information, but not all of it.

Is it free?

SlideShare is free. There's an option where you can choose the entire program to be free. With this, you receive just BASIC settings, uploads and shares. But, if you want to go beyond this and get extra perks, there are different tiers: Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The descriptions of each plan are listed in the picture below:

But, if you are a teacher, this are also EDU pricing. The breakdown for the pricing is 50% off the pricing listed above. The chart below details the full amounts and how to get the upgrade:

What will SlideShare bring to your classroom?

This product can prove to be beneficial in all different grades throughout the education system. From using it in the Kindergarten classroom to create a presentation about family members to using it in 4th grade classrooms to discuss the scientific process of the life of a pumpkin to a college student creating a webinar on the reasons why we should invest in mutual funds. This tool brings an easier way to create "PowerPoint type presentations," visual aids, and slideshows in the classroom environment, all while giving the ability to share with others around the world.

How do I use SlideShare?

Below, I will show examples of how to use SlideShare.

Step 1: Upload one or more of your own files by using either button - upload (for one upload) or upload+ (for more than one upload).

Step 2: Begin to enter your information for your upload.

Step 3: After you have entered your details, hit "SAVE DETAILS." This saves all your information.

Step 4: That's it! Your file is now uploaded and can be downloaded, shared, embedded, and anything else you would like to do to it!

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How can I use SlideShare in my classroom?

Below is a list of ways that this tool can be utilized in the classroom:

-Show the rules to new students
-Share student work that's the best each week
-Peer editing or review of presentations by classmates
-Presentation on oneself to allow others to 'get to know' you
-Create presentations for various academic subjects for 1:1 learning
-Collaborate with other classrooms on presentations through SlideShare
-Conference presentations for parents when they have to come in and see you
-Have students research using the topics on SlideShare for their own research projects

-Create photo brochures of countries that are being studied in a foreign language classroom

-Use as a teaser of what the days events will hold - specific subjects you're going to go over
-Vocabulary words - describe the word, definition, how you could use it, part of speech, etc.
-Find slideshows that are out there about a topic & create a Wiki embedded with presentations
-Assign a famous American to each student and have them research & upload their presentation

-Assign groups and have each group do a presentation on a chapter from the book you are reading

-Embed presentations on a specific time period into a class blog, creating a timeline with presentations

Honestly, the possibilities are ENDLESS.

How would YOU use SlideShare in your classroom? Answer in the comments on this post!

Dipity

The resource for today is called Dipity.

What is Dipity?

Dipity is an online timeline service. Users input real-time sources from social media outlets, traditional search engines such as Google or Bing, and RSS feeds to aggregate them into one interactive timeline presentation that anyone can view and use. Users may also use the search feature to search for events in various timelines, allowing them to find the information they need. Dipity allows the user to be engaged in their work while they create it, as well as be engaged after publishing their timelines.

Is it free?

Dipity is free for anyone who registers. But, this free comes with a price. You're allowed up to 3 timelines, 150 events between the three, 5K/month embedded views, 50MB upload space, and have a standard branding and design. Of course, as with other programs, you can upgrade your account. The chart below will detail the other plans available should you want to upgrade:

What will Dipity bring to your classroom?

This product can prove to be beneficial in all different grades throughout the education system. From using it in the Kindergarten classroom to create a video about the alphabet to using it in 7th Grade classrooms to tell about a famous American inventor, to a college student identifying their time and what they have learned in their internship. This tool brings an easier way to create "PowerPoint type presentations," visual aids, and slideshows in the classroom environment without having to hassle with the transitions between slides, text, and adding your own music (finding it, as well!). 

How do I use Dipity?

Below, I will show you the ideas behind Dipity.

 This is your dashboard. This is where you create a timeline, find hot topic timelines, and access any other information within your account.

STEP 1: Create your timeline. Enter the topic name, description, choose the category, timezone, upload a thumbnail, and choose the permissions. Once you've done this, click continue to go to the next step.

Step 2: Begin adding events to your timeline. This can be done by words, search feature, photos, videos, blogs, music, messaging services (Twitter, for example), other timelines featured on Dipity, and other places. I chose to add a regular event.

Step 3: Here's what the add event page looks like. Enter in your title, date, description, picture, webpage URL (link), the location, and a potential video URL. This will then upload onto your Dipity timeline.

And that's it! You continue this process until your events are all uploaded. Below is an example of a Dipity timeline.

Example Dipity Project I participated in during one of my ASL courses in my undergraduate college career.

Deaf International Community on Dipity.

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How can I use Dipity in my classroom?

Below is a list of ways that this tool can be utilized in the classroom:

-Create a timeline of your life
-Create a timeline of your family's lives
-View the hot topics to identify current events

-Use for creating timelines of Shakespeare's life

-Create a timeline of the lives of famous Americans
-Create a timeline for the works by a favorite author
-Use for creating a timeline of the time spent in the classroom
-Identify the varieties and evolution of car models over the years
-Create timelines to illustrate changes in technology over the years
-Create a timeline of the various wars (WWI, WWII, Korean War, etc.)
-View other timelines to discuss the events happening around the world
-Create a classroom daily timeline with the tweets you compose in your classroom
-Create a timeline for a research project, print out, place on poster board, and present
-Create a goals list for the future in college classrooms (graduation date, job dates, etc.)
-Identify the various earthquakes that have happened on the West Coast (when, where, how long, etc.)

Honestly, the possibilities are ENDLESS.

How would YOU use Dipity in your classroom? Answer in the comments on this post!